Contest

The rules and entry form for the 2024 contest are available here. The deadline for entering will be at midnight, Friday, February 9, 2024.

Winners of the 2023 contest were announced during an online ceremony on Saturday, May 6. The list of winners, with their schools and cities, is linked below, with judge’s comments included.

Since 2010, Youth Journalism International’s annual contest has showcased some of the best teen journalism in the world.

In 2023, YJI and the First Amendment Museum joined forces to create a First Amendment Award for teen journalists and their teachers.

The First Amendment Award honors an individual student journalist, journalism educator, or group with a demonstrated commitment to using their First Amendment freedoms to affect positive change in their communities.

Now in its 15th year, YJI’s competition recognizes stellar work by young writers, photographers, and artists worldwide in dozens of categories. It is open to any teen, anywhere, for work published or broadcast in English in the previous calendar year.

“We’re delighted that in addition to producing stellar journalism by teens, YJI is also able to recognize excellent work from all teen journalism programs and celebrate it worldwide,” said Steve Collins, board president at Youth Journalism International.

Winners of the top categories – Student Journalist of the Year, Journalism Educator of the Year, the Frank Keegan Award for News, the Jacinta Marie Bunnell Award for Commentary, Courage in Journalism and the First Amendment Award, will receive a beautiful crystal trophy. Finalists will receive custom award certificates.

The deadline to enter the 2024 contest is midnight, Friday, Feb. 9.

Winners of all categories, including writing or broadcast work in news, sports, feature stories, reviews, travel writing, photography, cartoons, and illustrations, receive custom award certificates.

All entries are evaluated by a global panel of more than two dozen dedicated judges, including journalists, teachers and media experts.

Here are the rules

Judges

2023 contest winners

2022 contest winners

2021 contest winners

2020 contest winners

2019 contest winners

2018 contest winners

2017 contest winners

2016 contest winners

2015 contest winners

2014 contest winners

2013 contest winners

2012 contest winners

2011 contest winners

2010 contest winners

Take a look at where all of the trophy winners have hailed from since the contest began: